Enrichment of tomato fruit with health-promoting anthocyanins by expression of select transcription factors.
Dietary consumption of anthocyanins, a class of pigments produced by higher plants, has been associated with protection against a broad range of human diseases. However, anthocyanin levels in the most commonly eaten fruits and vegetables may be inadequate to confer optimal benefits. When we expressed two transcription factors from snapdragon in tomato, the fruit of the plants accumulated anthocyanins at levels substantially higher than previously reported for efforts to engineer anthocyanin accumulation in tomato and at concentrations comparable to the anthocyanin levels found in blackberries and blueberries. Expression of the two transgenes enhanced the hydrophilic antioxidant capacity of tomato fruit threefold and resulted in fruit with intense purple coloration in both peel and flesh. In a pilot test, cancer-susceptible Trp53(-/-) mice fed a diet supplemented with the high-anthocyanin tomatoes showed a significant extension of life span.
Butelli
Eugenio
E
John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Colney, Norwich NR4 7UH, UK.
Titta
Lucilla
L
Giorgio
Marco
M
Mock
Hans-Peter
HP
Matros
Andrea
A
Peterek
Silke
S
Schijlen
Elio G W M
EG
Hall
Robert D
RD
Bovy
Arnaud G
AG
Luo
Jie
J
Martin
Cathie
C
D000818:Animals; D000872:Anthocyanins / Q000378:metabolism*; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000378:metabolism; D032161:Antirrhinum / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D001709:Biotechnology / Q000379:methods; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; D005818:Genetic Engineering / Q000379:methods*; D018551:Solanum lycopersicum / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D051379:Mice; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality; D010860:Pigments, Biological; D030821:Plants, Genetically Modified; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D019076:Transgenes; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / Q000172:deficiency / Q000235:genetics
D000872:Anthocyanins; D000975:Antioxidants; D010860:Pigments, Biological; D014157:Transcription Factors; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53